Fire station committee: survey shows cost is main concern; committee to pursue scope cuts

The fire station building committee on Aug. 10 presented results from a listening tour and an online feedback form that drew 247 unique responses. Town manager Colin Weisel summarized participation and the committee’s interpretation: "There were 247 unique respondents. Of that, 206 respondents or 83% said that they voted one way or another on the project," he said, noting the committee received feedback representing both supporters and opponents.

Committee members said cost and tax impact emerged as the primary driver of residents’ votes. "Not surprisingly, the cost and tax impact was the biggest one, followed by firefighter safety and then building size and scope," the committee reported. The committee categorized potential reductions into three groups: cuts everyone agreed were feasible with minimal operational impact; items to avoid but that could be reduced if necessary; and two items deemed critical to operations that should not be cut.

The committee compiled a list of candidate reductions and sent estimated savings to H2M, the project designer, for validation. H2M will review the list at no additional cost and report which reductions are feasible and what design implications they carry. The committee plans to meet Aug. 20 to review H2M’s analysis and decide whether further reductions are required. Committee members stressed that reductions must be analyzed for operational impact, and some members signaled a working expectation that a realistic project price is likely in the neighborhood of $20 million.

Select board members asked the committee to improve public education about why specific features are needed. Committee members suggested short explainer pieces and demonstration site visits as possible outreach steps. The committee continues to explore an alternate acquisition (100 Potash Road) in parallel with scope‑reduction work.